Mangalore, Jun 5 (DHNS): With Governor H R Bhardwaj giving his consent for the appointment of Prof K Byrappa as the new vice chancellor of Mangalore University on Wednesday, the vacant post has been finally filled after a gap of two months.
A senior professor in the University of Mysore, Prof Byrappa specialises in nanotechnology, nanomaterials and materials science.
A native of Mysore, Byrappa obtained his BSc (1973) and MSc (1975) from the University of Mysore and his PhD (1981) from Moscow State University in Russia.
He has published eight books and contributed a number of research articles for various journals.
Two other contenders
Though Prof Niranjan (University of Mysore) and Prof Chinnappa Gowda (University of Mangalore) too were strong contenders for the post, Byrappa was ultimately selected for the post.
The Search Committee finalised the names of three candidates, including Byrappa, without University Grants Commission nominee Prof K Ramakrishna Rao, as he had expressed his inability to attend the meeting.
The Search Committee comprised Prof K S Rangappa (former VC of Karnataka State Open University), the Governor’s nominee; Prof Kishan Lal (former president of Indian National Science Academy), the chairman of the Search Committee; Prof S Bisaliah (former VC of University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore), the Mangalore University Syndicate nominee; and Prof K Ramakrishna Rao (former chairman of the Indian Council of Philosophical Research and former VC of Andhra University), the UGC nominee.
The post lay vacant after Prof T C Shivashankara Murthy retired from service on March 3 this year.